CD Reviews

Great solos

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 02/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Earl Hines was at probably the lowest point of his career when these 1955-56 tracks were recorded. An extraordinarily influential pianist, his 1920s recordings, both solo and with Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Noone, shot him to the forefront of jazz, and challenged the prevailing orthodoxy of stride piano. He fronted successful big bands in the 1930s and 1940s, and was reunited with Armstrong in the late forties. However, by the 1950s he was reduced to playing dixieland jazz on the West Coast, and his career seemed moribund.The first nine tracks do nothing to dispute that judgement. Supposedly a tribute to Fats Waller, Hines (in a mediocre quartet with guitar, bass and drums) delivers high class muzak, playing at perhaps 25 % of his capacity. These are poor sides.Thankfully sides 10 - 21 find Hines solo, in superb form and recorded on a wonderful piano in an excellent acoustic. These sides foreshadow the solo piano renaissance which Hines experienced after his 1964 "rediscovery". All are magnificent, a mixture of Hines originals from his big band days and two excellent blues (with "R.R. Blues" featuring some 1920s Chicago style boogie woogie). Strongly recommended for the solo tracks alone."

Probably Earl Hines's best CD!

Michael Jakobi | Wien Österreich | 05/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Two of pianist Earl Hines's finest recordings sessions of the 1950s are included on this CD. One is a tribute to Fats Waller on which Hines (with guitarist Eddie Duran, bassist Dean Reilly and drummer Earl Watkins) explores songs associated with Waller. The other date is Hines's only solo session of the decade and features him playing his own compositions (including "Everything Depends on You," "You Can Depend on Me," "Piano Man" and "My Monday Date") along with "Am I Too Late?" During the 1950s, Hines was somewhat forgotten in jazz, reduced to playing Dixieland dates, so this two-fer is far superior to his other sessions prior to his "comeback" of 1964."

This is one example of a bad decision to comnine 2 for 1

douglasnegley | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 09/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the early 1970s, times were tough for record companies (sort of like now), but especially for jazz labels. The 1970s were a very trying time for jazz, period. So, Prestige and Fantasy Records (along with newly aquired Riverside's vaults, which were reissued by twos as Milestone Records 'twofers') began to combine single record LPs into double LPs for a better value. Sometimes, 'previously unissued' tracks were included in order to stretch-out the time required for such a 'twofer'. In Fantasy, Prestige, and Milestone's case, many if not most of the double LPs were well put together and preserved some classic recordings long before CD reissues were a gleam in a record label's eye (ie; Ray Bryant's "Me and the Blues"; Cannonball Adderley "..And 8 Giants", and damn near every Wes Montgomery and Bill Evans 'twofer' reissue). However, occasionally, floppers did occur..."Jug and Dodo" reminds me a bit of this one - "Another Monday Date". Contrary to some opinion, I do not feel that the first disc, Hines' first for Fantasy, "Fatha Plays Fats" is that bad; but his second LP for Fantasy, "Earl 'fatha' Hines solo", recorded in December of 1956, is simply so, so much better. Hines is no youngster on this recording, and he is in total command of his instrument. On top of that, he is recording solo for the first time in quite a while, and playing with the knowledge that he has nothihg to prove. He simply plays the living **** out of every tune. From the first note of "Deep Forest" on to the wonderful "R.R.Blues" (with that great modern, quirky ending!) to the last note of "My Monday Date", 'Fatha' Hines is most likely unaware that he is recording one of his best LPs. I honestly believe it to be an historic one at that. The sound quality is perfect, with good reverb, not that soaking wet sound, in which many of the early 'hi-fi' recordings were drenched. The microphone placement is just right, too - listen to his right foot tapping away at certain points. Fortunately, I lucked into the original Fantasy LP in a defunct jazz record library during the switch of 'format' over to rock & roll. It is worth its weight in gold for the cover alone - a sort of "pseudo art-de-France deco" animation drawing of 'Fatha' with a big grin, big hands (with a big diamond ring) on the big black and white keys. Everything is in various shades of black and white except the title and the ring - which are in gold. Barring the finding of the 'solo' stuff on its own, I still think this CD is worth getting for the solo works. Again, much like "Jug and Dodo"."